


Killing innocence.

by Thehedgehogat221b



Series: Killing innocence [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Achievement Hunters, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drug Use, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fake AH Crew, GTA AU, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, POV First Person, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Build, Swearing, Violence, Work In Progress, long fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:55:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 18,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21575221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thehedgehogat221b/pseuds/Thehedgehogat221b
Summary: The Howell Twins have been working on their own since they were children, but when a old enemy of Geoff's rises his head in Los Santos, they become part of something far more dangerous than they bargained for.(WIP, Please leave comments and criticisms welcome.)
Relationships: Jeremy Dooley/Original Female Character(s), Lindsay Tuggey Jones/Michael Jones, Ryan Haywood/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Killing innocence [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642918
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter one  
A loud knocking wakes me from my dreams, splitting my head open. I sit up, I'm on the sofa in my living room, I don't remember falling asleep. The last memory I have is being at a bar downtown. There's a loud knocking again.  
"Okay okay!" I stand up. "Jesus fuckin' christ.."   
I stumble to the front door and unlock it, I realise with a sigh thats its Valkyrie stood in front of me, with two cups of coffee, of course she would wake me up.  
"You look like shit." She offers me a cup  
"Thanks." I take it and she walks into the apartment. "I'm guessing you drove me home."  
"Of course." She shrugs "I couldn't leave you down town, God knows what trouble you'd get into."  
I take a sip from my cup. Black coffee with tons of sugar. One of the few advantages of having a twin is that they know what food and drink you like.  
She reaches into her coat pocket and tosses me a pair of keys.  
"Your bike is in the car park."  
I catch the keys. "Thanks."   
I thumb the stuffed bear key ring. Valkyrie won it at a fayre when we were just kids, she gave it to me, we didn't have a lot when we were younger so it stuck with me as a sweet gesture.  
"This place is a pigsty." Valkyrie walks towards my sofa and brushes away what I assume is crumbs before sitting down. "Would it kill you to let in sunlight?"   
"Karry...I am hungover and honestly, not in the mood for natural light."   
"When are you not hungover?" She laughs "Aside from when you're drunk, of course."   
"Look.." I walk over to the sofa and sit down "Drunk me doesn't wanna fight people, it calms me down."   
"Speaking of which.."  
I sit next to her and set down my coffee cup, I reach for my cigarettes and lighter.  
"A post office out in Blaine county."   
I light up my cigarette   
"A safety deposit box, Intel tells me inside it has a very rare book."  
"A book?" I blow smoke into the air "Not our usual style."   
"I already have a buyer."  
"And all I have to do is take it?" I chuckle "No big deal, waltz in, nick the book.."   
"You'll go in at night and I will monitor everything."  
I roll my eyes "Really? I can rob a post office."  
"You'll cause a lot of attention." She sips her coffee. "This needs to be a quiet job. Clients orders."   
"How much we getting paid?" I reach down to the floor and pick up a beer can, I shake it to make sure its empty before tapping ash into it.  
"100k."  
"You're joking?" I laugh "Thats more than all our other jobs combined."   
I take a breath of my cigarette "Fuck...thats more than the money that got us here."  
"Its enough money to get you out of this rat hole."  
I frown "I like this apartment." I shrug "Okay the chances of being knifed outside are pretty high but hey, any chance to stab someone is good."  
Valkyrie shakes her head, a small laugh escaping her lips "You worry me Connie."  
"You don't worry when you need me to blast some fuckers brains out."  
"It worries me that you enjoy it."   
"I'm more a knife gal...actually."  
"Not the point."  
"Come on Val, lighten up." I tap ash out into the empty can once again "Crack a smile. It won't kill ya."  
"You said the same thing last night, then a bloke said I should smile more and you told him to shut the fuck up."  
I shrug, remembering vaguely what she's referring to "I wasn't speaking to him."   
"And then he told you to learn some respect-"  
I finish her sentence for her "And I sucker punched him, right in the stupid mouth. It's all flooding back."  
"And we got booted from that bar and then you-"  
"Bought a joint off that dude in the alley." I stand up and walk towards a leather arm chair, where my jacket is tossed across the arm "Which should still be in my pocket."  
I rummage around, until I find the joint.  
"Come on Val, a celebratory smoke is in order."  
"Fine..I guess one puff couldn't hurt.."   
Valkyrie has always been the brains of the two of us, she excelled in school, getting top grades, she even went to university to get a degree in computer science, of course those teachers never guessed that her brilliant mind would go on to scheme and cheat her way to money.  
While she was at university, I was in prison. I had been put on parole after robbing a shop, but then I was caught with weed, which landed me with a two year sentence.  
Not that I'm dumb, I would've gotten good grades had I bothered to do any work.  
Since sixteen, Valkyrie and I were on our own, so while she focused on school I was hustling pool and picking pockets, it allowed us to live on our own as soon as we turned seventeen.  
We had always been in and out of foster homes, we never knew our parents, so that was our first time ever in a proper house, in our own space we could make our own.  
"Thats more like it." I walk back to the sofa, I put out the dying embers of my cigarette into the beer can and reach for my lighter "Only none of this one puff bullshit."  
"I've got stuff to do." Valkyrie defends, setting her coffee cup down "Unlike you."   
"I have tons to do." I light up the joint "Like...for example, under the sofa is half a bottle of whiskey, I could finish it off."  
She doesn't reply, instead she takes the joint off me, frowning slightly.  
"Its a good thing I love you, Connie."  
"Love you too Karry."


	2. Chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls commit a robbery.

Chapter two

I move across the dark parking lot, as light on my feet as a ghost.  
"If you head towards the dumpster there is a vent above it." Valkyrie informs me in my ear.  
It's how jobs like this always go. Me on the ground, Valkyrie watching me from her computer screen, making sure I don't get caught.  
"Inside is one guard, Just knock him out."  
I roll my eyes, despite the fact she can't see me.   
"I wish you'd lemme bring a gun.." I reach the dumpster and climb on top, ignoring the smell of decaying rubbish.   
"You have a knife."  
"Not the same.." I pull a screwdriver out of my pocket "But you're right, better than nothing...which is how you'd go in."  
"We're thieves, not murderers, for tonight at least."  
I begin to unscrew the air vent, I don't get why I can't just blast my way in, kill the guard and steal the book, it'd save a lot of time.  
It seems like a brain numbingly long time before I can quietly move the vent cover to climb inside.  
"I'm in." I whisper "Bearly. If I get stuck and die in here, I'm haunting the shit outta you."  
I crawl through the vent, it's hot and smells like damp, I'm thankful I'm wearing a mask that covers the bottom half of my face.  
My 'look' for crimes is always the same, A black half face mask, red contact lenses and a black hooded leather jacket with black jeans, boots and gloves with a shoulder bag if I need it.  
"Okay, go right, this'll drop you into the security room."  
"Copy."  
I follow her directions and move the vent cover, I can already see the glow of the security monitors and hear the radio blaring.  
I drop down, being careful not to make too much of a thud, not that it would be heard over the drone of the radio.  
I sneak up behind the security guard, who's sat with his back to me, staring at the monitors.  
Springing up I hook my arm around his neck, he struggles, of course, they always do.  
I increase the pressure, ignoring him as he claws at my arms and tries to scream.  
His body goes limp in my arms, every fibre of my being, every atom of me is screaming to slit his throat.  
A dead man can't be a witness.  
"Okay, now take his keys and go down the hall."   
I ignore Valkyrie, still fighting the urge to grab my knife and end this mans life.  
"Joker!"  
She shouts, its very loud in my ear.  
"Okay..Okay Jesus Christ.." I wince   
"His keys should be on his belt."  
I reach for the ring of keys attached to the man's waist and unhook them.  
"Are you sure I can't jus-"  
"No!"  
I huff out a sigh "You're boring."  
I stand up and quickly check my arms for marks, thankfully my jacket protected me.  
The lock boxes are down the hallway, I'm surprised someone would put such a valuable item in such a shitty place, but then again, no one expect to be here.  
How Valkyrie knew it was here, let alone got a buyer is a mystery.  
"How'd you know 'bout this anyway?" I ask, as I unlock the security gate.  
"I have my ways." She replies with the slightest hint of amusement.  
"You gonna share?"  
"You gonna share all your throat-silting techniques with me?"  
I laugh and open the door "I have offered, you always threaten to hit me."   
"Because you get so excited...it's actually terrifying."   
I ignore her thinly veiled insult and step into the small room. "Which box is this in?"  
"Box 13."  
"Unlucky for some.." I mutter, scanning the box numbers   
"You aren't a bingo announcer."  
I laugh "Next career move, bingo announcer."  
I find the box and thumb through the keys.  
"The smallest one, it's a master."  
Valkyrie informs me.  
I frown. "No lock picking? No murder? Is this even a real job or a evening walk?"   
"You won't be complaining when we get paid."   
I ignore her, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of agreeing, I find the master key and slip into the lock of box 13.  
"Inside should be a small box, take it out and place it in your bag." there's a pause "Carefully."  
"Got it."  
I gently pick up the box, its metal and seems to be airtight.  
I swing my shoulder bag around and open it, before placing the small box inside.  
"Job done." I announce, zipping up the bag   
"Leave the same way you came in, put the keys back."  
I mentally remember to ask her why this job seems so odd, No killing? Leave the same way I came in?  
Its not like this could be traced back to us, once I'm out Valkyrie will destroy the CCTV footage, no one will ever know I was here aside from the knocked out guard, even then, he never saw my face or heard my voice.  
"This is odd." I mummer "Anything you wanna tell me?"  
"Not now, Later."  
The guard is still passed out when I return to the security room, his head is resting on his keyboard, the radio is still playing.  
"Sleep tight tubby."   
I place the keys back on his belt, he snores as I do so, scaring the life out of me.  
"You okay there Connie?" Valkyrie obviously saw me jump, she can bearly speak through laughter.  
"I'm fuckin' swell."I adjust my bag and walk towards the vent, I jump up and pull myself back into the tiny space.  
"I'll talk to you when you get to my apartment."   
"Righto."  
"Be safe."  
"Always am."  
I swear I can hear her laugh as her line dissolves into static.  



	3. Chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie goes on a bender, Thankfully she has a sister who will look after her.  
> *Drug use ahead, feel free to skip*

The two things that could cure the shaking running through my body after the robbery was either,   
A) Go out and commit a murder.  
B) go and buy some drugs.  
Sitting in the bathroom of a sleazy strip club I snot up some coke I bought on the way here, Using my knife's blade as a edge.   
Valkyrie would go mental if she knew, of course she would, as far as she knew I kicked my habit when we moved here a year ago.  
It was partly true, I'm not addicted to any one drug, I just take them.   
I close my eyes as the drug takes effect, Valkyrie wanted me to stay at her apartment for the night, But I couldn't.  
I was too on edge, energy pounding through my veins, I would've ended up getting in a argument with her just for the adrenaline.  
I put the small baggie of left ever coke in my bra and fold the blade of my switchblade and put it into my sock.   
I sniff and wipe my nose.  
I stand up and flush the toilet, The strip club is a favourite haunt of mine, its a big draw to bikers in the city and I'm drawn to any man who wears leather and rides a bike.   
The owners know me, Usually because I'm the one who keeps drunk guys from groping on the bartenders.   
Its called the Red Angel and its my perfect idea of heaven.  
As I leave the bathroom the bartender catches my eye and I walk over to her.  
"Dara.." I sit on a stool   
"Connie.." The red head smiles at me   
"Thought you quit."  
"Nah." She laughs "I was on my honeymoon." She shows me a gold band on her finger.  
"Nice." I pull out my packet of cigarettes "I'll have a double whiskey...Large."   
"Been staying outta trouble?" Dara asks as she pours me a drink   
"Always." I smile and light up my cigarette   
"You're a terrible liar."  
X  
The cold night air is like a smack in the face when I leave the Red Angel, several hours and drinks later.  
"Shit.." I fumble for the wall to steady myself, the breeze is making the drugs and alcohol hit me harder   
My legs feel like they've been replaced with noodles.   
I let out a raspy breath, The coke isn't reacting to the whiskey very well.  
"Knew I shoulda bought off my normal guy.."   
My vision starts swimming, I try and keep walking towards the car park but my legs might as well be glued to the floor.  
I slump against the wall and pull out my cell phone, I dial Valkyrie's number.  
"Connie?" Her voice is in my ear after a few rings   
"Hey sis.." I bite down the vomit thats threatening to escape my mouth "I'm at the red angel...could you..Could you come pick me up?"  
"Of course...give me about ten minutes"  
I smile "Thanks Karry."  
I sit with my head against the cold stone wall for what could have been a hour or only a few seconds, trying to keep my heart from exploding.  
Valkyrie makes her presence known to me by her headlights burning a hole through my eyelids, I hear her car door open and close.  
"What on Earth happened?" She asks, putting her hands under my arms and helping me up.  
"Someone must've slipped something in my drink." I lie quickly  
"You gonna be okay?"  
Its then I notice she's still wearing her slippers and has put on a coat over her pyjamas.  
"Yeah...Yeah.." I take a deep breath "Just..I aint in a state to drive."  
"No you aren't...Come on." She puts a arm around my waist "You can stay at mine for tonight.."   
"Thanks Kar."


	4. Chapter three.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Constance doesn't deserve such a loving sister.

The first thing I do when I wake up is rush to the bathroom to vomit out what feels like my stomach lining.  
"Fucks sake.." I wipe away the mess from my mouth with the back of my hand   
I look in the mirror as I wash my hands, My eyes are bloodshot   
"Well I aint dead.." I mummer, splashing cold water on my face.  
I haven't had a overdose, which is good, my heart rate is normal and my body has stopped shaking.  
Maybe it was the cut of the drug?  
"Here."   
Valkyrie appears in the reflection behind me, holding a glass of water  
"Thanks."  
She walks over and places the glass on the sink next to me  
"I'm gonna make breakfast...you can have a shower if you want...I'll put clean clothes on the bed."   
"You're a sweetheart."  
She chuckles "Someone has to take care of you."   
And she leaves, closing the door behind her.  
I sigh and pick up the glass, she's too good to me.  
I drain the glass in one go and set it back down, feeling the cold liquid go down my throat, it wipes away the taste of vomit.  
As I undress I notice my knife is missing from my sock, Valkyrie must have taken it out.  
With a slight hint of panic I check my bra, I sigh in relief, the baggie of coke is still there.  
I pull it out and walk towards the toilet, I drop the baggie into the water and pull the flush.   
"Next time...normal guy." I sigh "Can't rely on Karry all the time."  
X  
"Hope you feel better by tonight." Valkyrie comments, placing down a plate of a full English breakfast in front of me "I have arranged a meeting to sell that book."  
Sat in Valkyrie's kitchen, wearing her clothes, I feel like a cheap imitation of her, her jeans are clean, vibrant, her t-shirt is soft and is free of cigarette burns or stains.  
Her apartment is bright and modern, nothing like mine.  
"I feel fine." I reply, lying through my teeth, I feel like death, but its nothing I haven't felt before  
"You don't look fine."  
"Kar..I'm fine." I pick up my fork "Thanks for breakfast."  
"Its solid food...it may be a shock to your system."  
I laugh sarcastically "I eat."  
"When was the last time you ate?"  
I frown, she has a point.  
"Exactly..now eat."


	5. Chapter four.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls meet the book buyers, Constance is suspicious, who pays so much for a few dusty book?

My bike engine purrs as I follow Valkyrie's car down the street, its time to exchange the book with the buyer.  
She turns into a multi-story car park and I follow, we go down several ramps until we're on a underground level.  
She parks her car and I copy, We both turn off our engines and I take off my helmet as I dismount my bike.  
"Ah yes...the underground car park.." I chuckle, placing my helmet on the handlebars of my bike "The go to place for shady deals."   
I put up my hood and pull a bandanna up over my mouth.   
"I don't like it either." Valkyrie responds, putting on her dark sunglasses "But at least I have you as my lookout."  
"If all else falls we can flee on my bike."  
She laughs "I'd rather get shot."  
The sound of a car approaching catches my attention  
"Be careful what you wish for."  
A black sports car comes into view and stops in the parking bay in front of us, the doors open and two men in suits get out.  
One is tall and lanky, with gelled back black hair, he's carrying a brief case.  
The other is slightly shorter with a moustache and tattooed hands.  
"Pegasus." The tattooed guy addresses us, he walks closer to Valkyrie, closer than I like.  
"That's close enough." I step towards him  
"You must be Joker." He holds out his hands, palms facing me "I aint gonna do anything."   
"Either way, keep your distance."  
"So you are a woman?" Asks the lanky guy "I just won fifty bucks."  
"Here's your money." The tattooed guy gestures to the brief case  
Lanky hands it to Valkyrie, who then opens it  
"It should all be in there."  
"So it is." She closes the case and hands it to me, she reaches into her handbag and produces the lock box "And our end of the bargain."   
Lanky takes the box and opens it, he nods and closes it.   
"Hope to do business with you again."   
"You have my number." Valkyrie responds  
The two men walk away and get back in their car, They drive off, Valkyrie and I watch them until they're out of sight.  
"Well that was easy." Valkyrie comments.  
"Almost too easy."  
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."   
I shake my head and walk back to my bike "Come on, lets go back to yours and count our cash."  
X  
"You okay?" Valkyrie asks as we return to her apartment.  
"Just...drops aren't normally that cut and dry." I respond "They normally have more guys or try and haggle down a price."  
"It was a book deal...normally our buyers want guns..or information." She sets down the brief case and takes off her coat  
"Which is odd anyway." I chuckle "Who the fuck hires a hacker and a assassin to get a musty old book?"  
"Connie, darling, you should know we don't get paid to ask questions."   
"You've normally got a file as thick as your wallet on our clients." I shrug" Yet, this time you've got nada."  
"It was for a book." She sighs and shakes her head "There's no possibility we were working with terrorists or people traffickers."   
She picks up the brief case "I'll make sure these aren't fake or traceable, you gonna stay?"  
I shrug again "I might just wander.."  
Valkyrie clicks her tongue "Don't end up like last night."  
"I'll be careful, don't worry."


	6. Chapter five.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Constance seems to have annoyed someone, wouldn't be the first time.

God dammit..Felix." I hiss into my phone, hearing the voice mail for the ninth time in the past ten minitues. "Where the fuck are you?"  
I hang up and let out a long frustrated sigh, the sun is coming up on the horizon and I'm stood behind a dumpster in full Joker get up, this isn't a good look to be caught with.   
I lean against the building and close my eyes.  
I hear footsteps and my eyes spring open, I can see the outline of Felix, skinny and shaggy in the orange light.  
"There you ar-" I stop mid sentence, noticing there's people behind him.  
Two. Dressed in black, holding guns.  
One with a shotgun, the other with a SMG.  
"Bring friends Fel?" I snarl   
"They threatened me Joker.."  
I hear footsteps, two more men.  
Each have shotguns.   
"Oh yeah?" I pull out my own pistol from the holster on my leg "Thats nothing compared to what I'll do you to you little fuckin' snake."   
One of the figures steps into the same light as Felix, wearing a balaclava.   
He cocks his gun and holds it to Felix's head   
"Put the gun down or you're dealer friend gets his brains blown out."  
The voice is completely emotionless, I get a sense of who these men are.  
"He aint my friend."  
There's a flash of muzzle fire, the sound of bullets, I feel blood and brain matter hit my face, for the second time in as many nights I'm thankful for my mask.  
Felix drops to the floor, blood oozing from where his skull used to be.  
His killer looks me in the eyes, Clearly expecting some sort of reaction.  
"Thanks for saving me the bullets." I hiss "But now you've lost your leverage."   
Several guns are cocked and I'm reminded at how out numbered I am.  
"You want money? I'm poor as dirt, Spent most my cash on drugs and booze." I half lie "You want to take out Los Santos's newest heavy hitter? Join the fuckin' club."   
I pull up my gun and aim it at the other men, the ones who had been flanking me.  
"I aint going down without a fight."   
I shoot, it hits one of the men in the shoulder.  
I feel a gun barrel hit the back of my skull.  
The ground is hard beanth my knees, The world goes dark.


	7. Chapter six.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Constance is caught in the middle of something and for once, she's innocent.
> 
> *Torture/ Violence ahead*

When I come too, the world is black and I can feel rope around my wrists and ankles.  
My mask has been removed, my eyes are covered with a blind fold.  
There's a gag in my mouth, it tastes like cotton.   
I move against my ties, I hear wood creaking, I'm tied to a wooden chair.  
I inhale a deep breath, the air tastes cold and damp, a basement?  
"Ah you're awake."  
Its a voice, the same person who shot Felix.  
My blind fold is removed, my captor still has his balaclava on, I can make out dark eyes.  
"So you're the famous Joker eh?" The man laughs "Thought you'd be tougher."  
I ignore him.  
"Of course...where are my manners?"  
He removes my gag and stands back from me.  
"My name is Ink."  
"Stupid fuckin' name." I snarl "For a pretty stupid man."  
I swear a smile flashes across his face before he backhands me.  
I feel my eyes water as my lip splits.   
"Lets get to it." He snarls back, If I was anyone else I'm sure it would terrify me.  
But I learnt long ago not to let my fear show.  
"I happen to know you met with a business rival of mine."  
"I meet a lotta people." I spit blood at his feet "Comes with my radiant charm."   
"Geoff Ramsey."  
"Never met him."  
Again, a backhand across the face, splitting open the other side of my lip  
"Don't lie to me bitch." Ink hisses, but his hands are shaking, he's not in control of this situation, I am.  
"I ain't lyin' piss head." I spit another glob of blood at his feet, some gets on his boots "I've never met a Geoff Ramsey."   
This time its a punch, right to the bridge of my nose, enough for blood to come rushing out and my eyes to water like a overflowing sink.  
"Listen here, Prick." My voice is a growl now "You can beat me till I'm black and blue but it won't change the fuckin' truth, I aint ever met a Geoff Ramsey."  
"You aren't leaving here until you tell me." He cracks his knuckles "One way or another, you'll tell me."   
X  
Its several hours later when Valkyrie finds me, lying on the floor of the damp basement, bruised and bloody.  
"Connie?" She rushes to my side "What the fuck happened?"  
It takes me a second to uncurl my aching limbs, I can only see out of my right eye.  
"Someone jumped me."   
I flex my fingers, six out of ten are broken.  
"Who?"   
I get to my feet, ignoring the protests of my body.  
"Some prick named Ink?" I shrug "No idea..but I'm gonna fuckin' rip his spine out of his mouth."  
"Ink?" She frowns "When did we cross a ink?"   
"We didn't." I check my pockets, somehow my phone is still in tact, it must have been how Valkyrie found me, she traced my GPS.  
"We ever work with a Geoff Ramsey?"  
Valkyrie frowns "Did he do this?"  
"No. Someone who has a grudge against him did."  
I take a deep breath, rage still flowing free me, Ink and his goons left me passed out on the floor, They had be bound while they beat me.  
I was completely unable to fight back, But I didn't cry or scream.  
I kept silent, not giving them the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.   
"Take me home." I rub my wrists, their red raw from rope burns   
"You should go to a doctor."  
"I can fix myself up."   
Valkyrie frowns, she opens her mouth to protest  
"Jesus Fuckin' Christ Karry, either drive me home or I'll do it myself."   
She sighs "Fine."


	8. Chapter seven.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sisters bond.

Looking at myself, naked in front of my bathroom mirror I take note of the damage Ink and his gang did to me.  
Bruises all over, my right eye is bruised and swollen, Bearly keeping open. The white of my left eye is completely red.  
My nose is definitely broken and Valkyrie had to pop my shoulder back in before we drove home.  
My hands are wrapped up, I stitched up my cheeks myself, they shouldn't leave scars.  
Amazingly I have all my teeth.  
Thankfully I showered all the blood and brain out of my hair.  
I get redressed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt.   
I tie my damp hair up in a bun and walk out of the bathroom, Valkyrie is stood in my kitchen, I can hear the kettle boiling.  
"Geoff Ramsey." I walk towards my liquor cabinet "Tell me."  
"What?"  
"You know the name." I open the cabinet and pull out a bottle of Vodka, As Best I can I unscrew the top "So tell me who he is."  
"You should rest."   
I throw swig back the bottle, taking a large gulp, ignoring how it burns my throat.  
"I was almost beaten to death Karry!" I shout "NO ONE HAS LAID A FUCKING HAND ON ME SINCE THAT CUNT I BLINDED."  
I can feel my body shaking, Rage and tears are fighting inside me, its true, No one touches me.  
I close my eyes, my heart feels like its going to explode.  
"Connie.." I feel Valkyrie's soft hands take the bottle of my hand "Connie..We'll get the people who did this, right now, you need to rest."   
She pulls me into a hug, she smells like soap and flowers, she feels safe and my heart beat returns to normal and my body stops shaking.  
"Stay with me." I mummer, tears running down my cheeks, stinging my cuts.  
"Of course..go and change into something comfortable and go to bed.." She kisses my cheek "I'll bring your tea to you."   
"Okay..Okay." I take a deep breath "Thanks."  
X  
"Here." Valkyrie places a mug of tea on the beside table she smiles and holds up a packet of biscuits "I got some bickie's too...if you want them."   
"I'm okay.." I pull the blanket over me "Thank you."  
"You don't need to keep thanking me."  
"I do." I suddenly feel emotional, a rarity for me, "I mean it, I'd be dead without you Val."   
"Someone would've found you...besides you aren't injured that badly."  
I shake my head, the motion causes my head to spin "I mean...in general.."  
"You're probably right there then." She smiles, Its almost motherly "Drink your tea before it gets cold."


	9. Chapter eight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot T H I C C E N S

I awake later, alone in the bed, the door is open a crack of light coming into the otherwise dark room, I can hear Valkyrie talking.  
"I don't give a rats arse who you told." Her voice is cold and low, yet calm, almost too calm "Your big mouth almost got my partner killed."  
Whoever she's talking too on the phone replies, I assume so anyway because I can't hear a response.  
"Okay...Same place...Tomorrow midnight." She inhales deeply "If this a set up, I swear you'll live to regret it, understand?"  
There's silence, I hear feet and the light goes off, Valkyrie stands in the bedroom doorway and turns on the light.  
"Oh..You're awake."   
I feel guilty, Like I'm a child who's been caught watching T.V past their bedtime.  
"Who were you talking too?"  
"Ramsey." She walks towards the bed   
"You do know him."   
"Yes." She sits on the mattress "He's the one we sold the book too."  
"Bit convenient that I get jumped straight after meeting him."  
"He swears he had nothing to do with it."   
"Do you believe him?"  
"If he had something to do with those men." She swings her legs up and sighs "You'd be dead."  
"Who is he?"  
"You've heard of the Fakes I assume?"  
I roll my eyes, of course I've heard of the Fakes, they're the top dogs around here, the most feared and masterful criminals.  
"He's the King."  
I feel my stomach drop  
"We...We've done business with the fucking Fakes!?" My throat burns at my shout, my head throbs "Karry...I thought we were done with big crews, I thought we were on the down low."  
"We were." Valkyrie pauses as she climbs under the covers "But..How could I turn down so much money?"  
Ah yes, as much as Valkyrie was different from me we both shared our love of money.  
"Can't argue there."  
She switches the lights off  
"Goodnight, Con."  
"Night Val."


	10. Chapter nine

When I wake up the next day, my bones are stiff and everything hurts.  
I check my phone, I have a text from Valkyrie   
'Gone to prepare for tonight, text if you need me'  
She's paranoid in the best way, if we're meeting in the leader of the Fake's she's most likely setting up a backup plan, if anything happens to us, the police suddenly get a e-mail full of information of their number one enemy.   
I get out the bed, I see walk into the bathroom, My face is more bruised than before, its more purple and yellow than skin colour.  
I frown, I haven't been in this bad of a shape for a while. I turn on the sink and let it run.   
The water is cold against my skin and stings.  
I can feel my body shaking, its a mixture of pain, anger and fear.  
"Fuck." I hiss, trying to catch my breath and stop the fire of panic in my gut.  
Suddenly I'm fifteen again, being held to the wall by a hand around my throat, choking me  
 _"What the fuck did you say?"_  
 _"I-I'm sorry...So sorry..." I had sobbed "Leo pleas-"_  
The hits didn't stop for another hour.  
I shake the thoughts from my head, And reach for a towel.  
Looks like I'm drinking that vodka after all.  
X  
I'm sat on my couch, cleaning my pistol, I reach for the bottle of Vodka and sip down the remains.  
The door opens and I jump slightly  
"Its just me."   
Valkyrie's presence brings with it the smell of take out Indian food.   
"Bloody hell Connie."   
The door shuts with a slam   
"Should you be doing that in your state?"  
"I'm fine."   
"Of course." 


	11. Chapter ten.

Sure you have enough weapons?" Valkyrie asks, doing her blazer up over a chest holster where her pistol is carefully hidden.  
I have two pistols in a chest holster, a smaller handgun tucked into the back of my jeans and two knives tucked away in my boots.  
"I was kidnapped and almost beaten to death." I zip up my jacket "You can forgive my paranoia."  
I've upped my 'disguise' wearing a balaclava that covers my hair, ears and neck with black sunglasses and a bandanna covering my mouth, due to only being able to see out of one eye I've had to skip wearing my contacts.  
And of course, I'm wearing all black and gloves.  
"Just don't become too trigger happy."   
"I will only shoot someone if the need arises, I promise."  
X  
Valkyrie checks her watch in the dim light of the car park.  
"They should be here any moment.."  
I nod, I'm leaning against my bike, prepared in case this is a ambush.  
There's the sound of a cars engine, A black sports car comes into view. It parks opposite us, Out of the drivers seat comes the tattooed man who bought the book, Geoff Ramsey, the man who blabbed about knowing us and almost had me killed.  
Out of the passengers seat a stranger in a brown leather jacket and glasses climbs out.  
I stand up and walk to Valkyrie's side, watching the men from behind my sunglasses.  
"Pegasus." Ramsey greets  
"Ramsey." Valkyrie responds  
"Joker." Ramsey nods in my direction "Sorry to hear what happened."  
I don't respond. the men walk closer   
"You wanted to talk?" Valkyrie asks   
Ramsey nods "The gang who attacked your...partner." He eyes me over "We've had dealings in the past."  
"Then take them out." I bark, annoyed at how calm he is, of course he would be, he wasn't the one beaten.  
"Wow, if only we had thought of that." Glasses speaks, his tone is practically dripping with sarcasm. "It aint that easy."  
"I'm sorry, who are you?" I snarl  
Glasses straightens his back "Mogar."  
I have to stop laughing, the Fakes have some stupid nicknames, but I've heard of Mogar, he likes fire and explosions.  
"Thought you'd be bigger."  
Mogar glares at me, Ramsey chuckles.  
"Once you two have stopped fighting." He clears his throat "We have information on Ink..if you'd follow us to our safe house, we can talk it over."  
"Shoot us up you mean."   
"Joker." Valkyrie puts a hand on my arm "We'll follow you."  
Ramsey nods and the two men walk back towards their car  
"Are you insane?" I hiss to Valkyrie  
"If they wanted us dead, we'd be dead."  
I frown, I suppose she's right, why play all these games when we could just be left in this car park for some poor security guard to find?  
"I swear if we get murdered...I won't be happy."


	12. Chapter eleven

The Fakes safe house isn't what I expected, it in the poorer part of the city, the type of area where if people hear gunfire they simply ignore it.  
We follow Ramsey and Mogar up to the front porch, Ramsey stops and eyes me over.  
"Mask and glasses off."  
"Excuse me?" His request as taken me by surprise  
"You've seen our faces...seems fair."   
"Joker doesn't show her face to anyone." Valkyrie speaks for me   
"Well, I'm not just anyone."  
"Fine." I meet Ramsey's gaze "You can see the number Ink did on my gorgeous face."  
I take off my sunglasses and bandanna, Then my ski mask, my hair falls around my face, I feel suddenly naked.  
"Pink hair, huh?" Mogar laughs "I expected black like V."  
"I expected some horrible scars."   
"Sorry to disappoint."   
"Gentlemen, I don't think we should hover outside." Valkyrie removes her sunglasses "Might catch the neighbours attention."  
Mogar opens the door and walks in, Then Valkyrie  
"After you." Ramsey gestures to the door  
I walk inside, I'm surprised, it still looks like a normal house.  
"We're back!" Mogar shouts "Get your asses down here, Crew meeting!"  
Ramsey laughs "Make yourselves at home."   
I follow Valkyrie into the living room, A woman with short red hair is tidying away empty cans.  
"Ignore the mess." She smiles at us "Can I get you anything? Drinks?"  
I'm slightly weirded out by how she's acting like a mother, like we're her childs school friends and not rival criminals.  
"No thank you." Valkyrie answers for us, once again.  
"I'm Jackie."   
"Pegasus..." Valkyrie nods in my direction "Joker."   
"You're the one who got jumped?" She frowns "Hope no permanent damage was done."  
"I've had worse."  
"Well...take a seat, the rest of the crew will be down soon."  
Valkyrie sits in a armchair, I lean against the wall next to the tv, I tuck my ski mask into my jacket pocket and put the sunglasses on the front of my t-shirt.   
"This isn't what I expected." Valkyrie comments   
"I heard they're a close crew...but this.." I look around "Is some horror movie type shit."  
Valkyrie laughs and I find myself smiling, even if it does rip open the scab on my lip and causes it to bleed.   
I use my tongue to clean up the blood, it stings as I run it along the broken skin, but I don't want to meet the rest of the Fakes with blood on my face.  
Two men enter the living room, one is skinny with dyed blonde hair, the other is short with a shaved head.  
"You're the one's Geoff was talking about?" Blonde asks, I'm surprised he has a English accent "Didn't expect a pair of birds."  
Short guy hits him in the ribs "Gav..."  
"Friendly reminder that this 'Bird' is on inter-pols most wanted." Valkyrie says with a smirk  
"And I'm on the FIB watch list." I smirk  
"That badass assassin thing doesn't work with us." Short guy comments with a light chuckle "We have one of our own."  
"So, You're Pegasus." Blonde points to Valkyrie "So you must be Joker."  
"And you are?" Valkyrie asks   
Blonde guy flops on to the sofa and swings his legs over the arm "Gavin Free."   
The way he smiles as he finishes his sentence as if he's awaiting applause.  
"I'm Jeremy." Short guy sits on the sofa, Gavin moves his head and puts it on the other mans lap.  
I note away each name, just like I know Valkyrie is doing, so when we leave we can find everything on them.  
I wonder why they don't use code names, then again, it would appear everyone in the city knows them.  
Jackie returns to the living room, followed by Mogar, and a tall man with hair pulled into a messy bun.   
"Pegasus, Joker, Micheal and Ryan."  
Mogar frowns, annoyed that Jackie just gave away his real name.  
Ryan's face remains emotionless, Judging by his all black attire, and the scars on his hands and face, he's the feared Vagabond, the Fakes attack dog.  
A man who strikes fear into the underworld.  
Yet, there he is, stood with a man bun and a oversized hoodie.  
Looks can be deceiving I suppose, I'm living proof of that.   
"Well now we all know each other." Geoff enters the room and everyone else finds seats.  
Geoff sits in a big leather arm chair, all eyes on him.  
"Joker, tell us what happened with Ink."  
I suddenly feel like I'm eighteen again, being questioned by the cops about who Leo King was, and why he stabbed me.  
Why I stabbed him.  
Why he'd been abusing me.  
"I went to my dealer." I quickly finish the sentence, already feeling Valkyrie's eyes on me "Felix...he gives me my weed." I frown "Gave me my weed..Ink and his gang rolled up, blew Felix's head off and knocked me out."  
I take a deep breath "When I came too, I was in a basement, Ink in front of me, all I could see was his eyes, everything else was covered."  
I meet Geoff's gaze "He said I'd met with a business rival of his." I point a finger at Geoff "You." My hand shakes slightly as I lower it "He beat the shit of me, even though at the time I didn't know who the fuck you were."  
"Its a message." Ryan speaks up   
"No shit Rye." Micheal barks "A message of what?"   
"They can't touch us." Jackie gives me a sympathetic look "So they got the last people we did business with."  
"How'd they find out that you met with us?" Valkyrie asks   
"I sent a e-mail to T." Geoff responds.  
Suddenly Gavin sits up "A e-mail? Jesus...GEOFF!" He jumps to his feet "If we've been hacked.." he pulls a phone out of his salmon coloured shorts "I've gotta check this out."  
He rushes from the room, suddenly anxious energy, nothing like the sauve man he was when he introduced himself.  
"Are we sure you didn't hacked?" Jeremy asks Valkyrie.  
Who laughs and shakes her head "I don't get hacked." She smiles, Smug, "Even if I had, I never wrote down who we were meeting, not digitally at least."   
Gavin returns to the room, running his fingers through his spiked hair  
"We've been hacked."  
The rest of the Fakes mumble curses  
"How?" Geoff rises from his chair "Fucks sake...Treco was supposed to let me know if anything.." He lets out a frustrated sigh "What the fuck do I pay him for!?"   
"Perhaps pay us instead?" I stand away from the wall "Pegasus is very skilled, and seeing as we're already involved in this fuck up.."  
"Sure, whatever." Geoff sighs "Gav, take Ms. Pegasus to the home base, show her the system."   
"What?" Gavin seems surprised at his boss' request   
"You heard, go on." Geoff sits back down "Scram."  
Pegasus gets to her feet "Lead on."   
"Joker, stay here." Valkyrie meets my eyes "You need rest."  
I frown   
"Relax Pinky." Ryan speaks from the corner "She's safe with Gav, he couldn't hit a barn door with a missile."   
The rest of the crew laugh and I lean back against the wall, watching as Valkyrie follows Gavin out of the room.   
"Joker, make yourself at home." Geoff clears his throat "Back to whatever you were doing before, crew."   
And with that, the others get up, Micheal and Jeremy leave the room, Jackie sits next to Geoff and they begin idle chit-chat.  
I leave the wall and head for the kitchen, Hoping I can slip outside and have a smoke.  
  



	13. Chapter tweleve

Chapter twelve

  
I sit on a stone bench at the bottom of the back garden, its worn away and parts of chipped off, clearly its old, it isn't something the Fakes' added to the decor.  
Its shaded by a old apple tree, the fruit lies on the grass, rotting into dirt.   
I hear the backdoor open and look up to see Ryan striding across the porch.  
Great, the man who's given me a childish nickname is coming to talk.  
Hard to believe he's so feared, right now he seems like a prick.  
"So.." He sits next to me "You sure you're Joker?"  
"Last I checked." I take a drag of my cigarette and watch as he produces his own packet of smokes.  
"Like the Joker?"  
"Yep." I shrug "Not the one from the comics..he's made up."  
My name choice has always had people picturing the clown prince of crime from Batman, rather I chose it because the card of the Joker can be either very dangerous or very helpful to have.  
"You killed that pimp over on the east side last year?"  
"I kill a lotta people." I tap ash out of my cigarette "But yeah, I did that, bullet through the throat."  
"What about Demoria..That was messy."  
I get flashes of a memory, blood stained tiles, a fire.  
"They deserved it."  
"I ain't judging." He lights up a cigarette and leans back into the bench   
"Is this the part where we try to bond over our sins?" I glare at him with my good eye "I don't make friends."  
"So I gathered." He gestures to my face "Shame, bet you used to be cute."  
I resist the urge to punch him in his stupid mouth, this is why I wear a mask.  
"Call me cute again and I'll carve it into your flesh."  
He smiles, bearing his teeth and quite quickly I remember who I just threatened.  
The Vagabond.  
Word on the streets is that he carved off drug dealers face and sent it to the cops.  
Some say he cleans his blades with his mouth.  
Others say when he puts on the skull mask he becomes the very essence of the devil himself.  
"You should remember who you're talking too." His voice is a low whisper "I'd hate to have to slit that pretty throat."  
His smile is almost wolf like, And I'm the prey.  
For once I'm not the most dangerous person in the room.  
I get to my feet and drop my cigarette into the mud, I thud away back to the porch, I can hear him chuckle as I stomp away.  
"Rye scare you away?" Jackie asks as I enter the kitchen.  
Her motherly aesthetic seems even stronger here, as she makes a peanut butter sandwich.  
"He's a prick."  
She laughs "Yep."   
"He mostly means no harm." she plates up her food "He's just pissing about, letting you know he's the scariest douche with a man bun around here."  
She walks over to the little plastic kitchen table and sits down, I sit opposite her.  
"I know what you're thinkin'." She picks up a piece of bread, I notice the bright yellow nail polish on her finger tips. "How's she fit in all this?"  
She smiles at me and takes a bite out of the bread   
I had heard the Female Fake was somehow the boss, the brains.  
The phrase 'Behind every successful man is a bad ass woman' personified.  
"I'm the driver." She wipes peanut butter off her mouth with her thumb and licks it clean "Ain't a vehicle I can't master."   
I smile "I'm a bike woman myself."  
She seems the nicest of the crew, not that I trust her, but she seems the one most likely to at least stab me in the chest rather than the back.  
I decide to talk to her.


	14. Chapter thirteen.

The sun is coming up when Valkyrie and Gavin return to the safe house, I'm sat in the kitchen, sipping from a mug of coffee.  
Jackie and the others have since gone to bed, Valkyrie enters the kitchen, a duffel bag on her shoulder.  
"Geoff wants us to sleep here tonight." She sounds tired "I got some things for you."  
"That's weird." I stand up "Karry..We don't know these people."  
"If they wanted us dead...we'd be dead." Valkyrie repeats for the second time tonight   
"Val."   
"Con."   
I narrow my eyes "Okay..if you trust the Fakes...guess I have too as well."   
"Geoff just lemme know we're gonna be room mates." Jackie's voice makes me jump, I hadn't heard her approach.  
She's in what I assume is her sleep wear, a oversized sports jersey and sweatpants.  
"We can sleep down here, on a couch or something." Valkyrie yawns  
"this a safe house, we've got enough beds."  
We follow Jackie up the stairs, into a bedroom, its fairly large and both walls have bunk beds on them.  
"Hi." Geoff awkwardly waves from the top bunk of one "I can sleep with the lads..if you want me too."  
"We'll manage." Valkyrie clears her throat "Where's the bathroom?"  
"Across the hall."  
Valkyrie and I leave the room and don't speak until I've locked the bathroom door behind us.  
"I still don't like this." I mummer "Fuck this..I'm sleeping in my clothes."   
I remove all of my weapons as Valkyrie changes into a pair of leggings and a large hoodie.   
"Connie.." Valkyrie frowns   
"The fucking Vagabond is sleeping somewhere here." I respond "Excuse me for being a little paranoid."  
"You're scared of the Vagabond?" She laughs "Thought you'd be kindred spirits."   
"I'm not scared." I huff, annoyed she's think I'd be scared of anyone. "But he's too crazy even for me."   
"Gavin is..not what I expected." She starts to plait her hair into a ponytail "He's very flashy."  
I laugh "He is the Golden boy Kar."   
"His watch alone must've cost more than my apartment."   
"Ah..Thats why you're so okay with the Fakes." I click my tongue, annoyed "The money."  
My love of killing is matched by Valkyrie's love for money, the perfect pair to become criminals.  
"I am not!" She huffs, but then shrugs "The money is a nice side effect."   
She finishes her hair and smooths it down  
"We need protection." She reaches into the bag and pulls out a smaller wash bag "Or should we migrate again?"  
I frown, Moving to the States wouldn't have been Valkyrie's first choice, But with Leo still out for revenge against me, we had to go somewhere he couldn't get me.  
"Sorry that sounded harsh.."   
"I've said worse too you in the past."  
She hands out my toothbrush and I take it  
"And yet I still haven't knocked your teeth out."  
I laugh and step towards the sink "I couldn't blame you if you did." 


	15. Chapter Fourteen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night with it brings many secrets to the light.

After tossing and turning on the top bunk for about a hour I sigh and climb down, Geoff, Jackie and Valkyrie are still fast asleep.  
I put on my jacket, I had thrown it over the gaurd rail of the bed, I put it on and leave the room, the house is still dark and I make my way to the stairs, The bottom floor is also dark.  
I walk outside, I frown as I see of all people, Ryan sat on the stone bench, a cigarette lighting up his face, the sun has can just about been seen behind black rain clouds.  
"Pinky!" He greets, waving me over "Come on, have a smoke."  
I frown and walk towards him, he offers me a cigarette as I sit down.  
"We got off on the wrong foot." He lights up my cigarette for me "Hi, I'm Ryan."  
I almost laugh at the complete personality change, from scary or at least, trying to be scary, to cheerful.  
"Joker." I take a drag of my cigarette  
"Still no name eh?" He chuckles, its low and it makes my heart flutter "Unless your Mom called you Joker, that'd be weird."  
"Are you high?" I ask with a laugh  
"No." He quickly responds, the same way I respond to Valkyrie whenever she asks me the same thing "Okay..maybe I took some sleeping pills...and some speed."  
"You mixed speed and sleeping tablets?" I laugh "Woo boy, don't wanna be you when you come down."   
"I've done it enough times."  
"Still...don't make it better."  
There's a silence, Ah two drug addicts sat in a dark garden, a perfect senreio.  
"What about you? Couldn't stand Geoff's snoring?"  
"Something like that."   
"How're you healing?" He asks after a brief pause  
"You think this is the first time I've had the shit kicked outta me?" I take a drag from my cigarette "This?" I gesture to my face "Is nothing."  
"Yeah..Ink's a piece of work."  
"You know him?"  
"I know of him." he pauses, thinking about what he's going to say "He was in Geoff's old crew..he wanted to do some real shady stuff to get money...So the rest of the crew turned him in."  
"Geoff's a rat?"  
"You wanna say it a lil' Louder?" Geoff's voice comes from the darkness and I jump.  
He sits on a crumpling low brick wall "I ain't a rat."  
"I'm sorry." I mummer   
"What Ink wanted to do..." He rubs his face "He wanted to sell kids."  
The rage in his voice is clear   
"Ah." I finally huff "So a real cock sucker then."  
"Just a bit yeah." Geoff sighs   
I remain silent, getting flashbacks to hands touching me, a hand over my mouth   
"Be quiet, Yeah love?" Leo's breath against my face "You don't wanna upset my friends, do ya?"  
A hand touches my knee and I instinctively jump up, ready to fight.  
"Don't touch me." I hiss, Ryan, who had touched me looks to Geoff with wide eyes.  
"Sorry...I dropped my lighter.."  
I can hear my heart beating in my ears, I'm alone with two strangers.  
 _Two men._  
My weapons are still in the bed, Apart from my boot knife.  
"Joker?"   
Its like I'm under water, drowning in a cold black sea.  
"Joker?"  
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, when I open them again, Geoff is stood in front of me.  
"You okay?"   
I nod "Yeah yeah.."  
I clear my throat "I've gotta go to the bathroom."  
I disappear back towards the porch, cursing myself for loosing control like that in front of them.


	16. Chapter fifteen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie does what she always does in a uncomfortable situation:  
> Leaves.

Some how, I had returned to the bedroom and climbed into my bunk.  
I swing my legs over the edge and jump down, Wishing I had asked Ryan for some of his sleeping pills, my dreams were horrible.  
Valkyrie is sat on her bunk, watching me as I land on the floor.  
"Geoff told me about this morning."  
"I'm fine Kar." I wave her off   
"You.." She stands up "This is twice now, You haven't had a attack in-"  
"I'm fine." I clench my jaw   
"Are you?" She throws up her arms "Felix was found with heroin on him, Not weed."  
I feel like the floor has gone from beneath my feet.  
Valkyrie walks towards the bedroom door and shuts it, both stopping us being overhead and block my escape.  
"Are you using again?"  
"No." I lie "Karry I'm clean."   
"Constance."   
The tone of her voice is stern, one that nearly always sucks the truth from my lips if i like it or not.  
"Valkyrie." I match her tone "I am clean, you get me?"   
"Don't lie to me!"  
"I ain't lying!"   
Its true, I'm not currently on heroin.  
I walk towards her "Let me past."   
She shakes her head "Why? So you can go and sulk around?"  
"Bloody hell Val!" I grab her arm to move her and pull her towards me "I'm not a child. I can look after myself."  
I push her away from me, back towards the beds.  
I open the door and walk out, Ryan is lurking on the hallway, He looks like death warmed up.  
"So you're Constance, eh?"  
"Piss off."  
I stomp down the stairs, he follows me.  
"Look, You okay?"  
"Will you leave me alone!?" I shout and turn to face him "Fuck off."   
He looks surprised but backs away.  
I walk towards the front door and outside, its raining now, a heavy downpour.  
My bike is still parked in the driveway, Good, I need to be alone.


	17. Chapter sixteen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A unlikely hero comes to Connie's aid.

The back alley of the Red Angel was familiar to me, I sit on the dirty, wet floor, feeling cold rain run down my face.  
I roll up the sleeve off my jacket, I find a vein, the one right below my elbow seems to be perfect.  
There in the dazzling red neon lights of the strip cloud and the cold rain, I break my promise too Valkyrie.  
Once the needle is empty, I throw it in a nearby dumpster and lean back against the wall.  
As the drug takes effect I slide down the wall, back on to the floor. Heroin and whiskey always make me drowsy.  
I hear voices but I don't care who they belong too.  
"Oh lookie here.." A male voice calls out "A lil' fallen angel."  
I hear more men laugh and through my hazy vision I can see a group of at least five men.  
"A Junkie bitch." Another voice calls out  
"Fuck off.." I mumble, willing my legs to lift me but they don't seem to work.  
"Huh, What was that?"  
"I said.." I slur "F-Fuck off."  
Then men move closer to me, I can smell the alcohol.  
I hear a car engine, a door open and heavy foot steps.  
"Leave her own, Gentlemen." A deep almost growl comes from behind them.  
I feel their moods change "Holy shit..its him.."   
They scurry away, by the time they've left, My legs have decided to cooperate  
"I don't need your help buddy." I open my eyes.  
I'm facing a black mask.  
 _Ryan._  
"You can't take a hint, can ya?"   
"Constance." He slowly removes his mask  
"I hate that name."  
"Joker."   
"Oh fuck off, just leave me to enjoy this ride."  
"What ride? Being gang-raped?" he chuckles "Yeah sure sounds fun."  
"Did Valkyrie send you?"  
"Valkyrie?" He asks "Oh Pegasus...no."  
"I went out to look for you when you didn't come home."  
"Thanks for the concern." I step forward but my legs go from beneath me.  
He catches me before I land face first on the cement.  
"Come on, Lets get you home."  
"No..No not back to Pegasus.." i feel tears "She'll be so fuckin' smug she was right."  
"Okay..Not to the safe house, but somewhere safe."  
He helps me to my feet, and holds me by the waist.  
"Is this okay? To touch you I mean?"  
I make a vague noise that was meant to be "Yeah."  
Whatever happens next, Is a mystery to me, I pass out.


	18. Chapter seventeen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan has a soft side, Connie is not used to soft.

When I wake up I'm lying in a unknown bedroom.  
I start to panic, the last thing I remember is being at the Red Angel.  
What freaks me out even more is I'm just in my t-shirt and underwear.  
I fumble out of the bed and into the next room, its a living room, fairly modern, plants, both real and fake are everywhere.  
"Oh you're awake."  
I jump at the voice and turn my attention to the living area  
"Ryan?"  
I blink in surprise, There's Ryan, sat on his couch in sweatpants and a t-shirt, sipping from a can of coke.  
"D-Did we.."  
"No no.." he sets down the can and stands up "I found you outside the Red Angel...you were outta it."  
"I-I-" My mouth is dry "Thanks."  
"No problem."  
"D-Did anything else happen?"  
"You undressed yourself, when I brought you in.." He informs me "And when you were drifting off to sleep you kept saying a name..Leo?"  
I nod   
"It didn't sound good..So I sorta sat with you for a lil' bit..and then went to sleep on the couch."  
He's stood in front of me now, I can smell his body spray, its nice.  
He went out his way to help me, he didn't have too, We're strangers.  
Apart from the fact we're not.  
We both have the demons.  
"What did you take?" He asks   
"Heroin." I shrug "My old boon."  
I clear my throat "I mix it with whisky...,helps me sleep."  
"It used to wake me up."  
I suddenly feel the connection, I've never met anyone so open about their drug use outside prison.  
"D-Did you manage to get sleep after? Yesterday I mean."  
He smiles, but its sad "I got a few hours."   
Without thinking I move forward and press my lips to his.  
He doesn't kiss me back for a moment, before takes my hands and pulls me closer to him.  
The kiss is hungry, we're both starved of it.  
When I pull away he looks puzzled.  
"I-I sorry.." He pulls away from me "I- I shouldn't."  
"Why not?"   
"Because you're still coming down off whatever it was you took."  
"W-Will you sleep with me?" I take a deep breath "In the bed..I mean."   
He seems surprised, Like I just grew a second head or something.   
"Okay."  
We walk in silence into the bedroom and get under the covers, Once we're both lying down I put my head on his chest, his heart beat is calming.  
I haven't been this close to anyone who isn't Valkyrie in years.  
Nine years to be exact.   
God, has it been that long?  
"Is this okay?" He asks, putting a arm around me  
"Yeah..its fine." I chuckle "You're.....sweeter than I imagined."  
"I know what its like to not be able to sleep unless doped up." He pauses "Besides, most people are scared of me, you told me to fuck off." He laughs quietly "I like that."   
I close my eyes, listening to his heart beat and breathing, I feel safe.  
"You don't have to call me Joker." I mummer "You can call me Connie...not Constance, I hate that name."   
"Okay..Connie."  
There's something so intimate about that, Even more so than us lying in bed together, calling me by my name.  
I smile and find myself drifting off to sleep.


	19. chapter eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Connie return to the safe house, Karry is not amused with his sisters new found friend.

I'm woken up by Ryan talking, His deep voice is vibrating in his chest.  
"Pegasus..I found her." Her pauses "Yeah, she's fine, she just wants some time to sober up before coming back to the safe house."   
"Okay...We'll be back by lunch."  
He hangs up on the call and places his phone on the bedside table  
"Sorry...Didn't mean to wake you."  
"Was that.." I yawn "Valkyrie?"  
"Yeah..wondering where you are."  
"Whats with you two anyway? She seems to care a lot 'bout you."  
"She's my sister." I rub the sleep out of my eyes and sit up "Twin, actually."  
"Thought you looked similar."   
"About earlier.." I sit up, I notice the dark circles under his eyes have faded somewhat, he must've slept as well "Sorry I kissed you...I get it, it was weird, one second I'm yelling at you next I'm tryna sleep with you."   
"Its fine."   
He smiles and it lights up his eyes, they're a beautiful shade of blue.  
"Is it?" I chuckle "And thank you...for finding me.."  
"No problem."  
I get out of the bed and find my clothes, they're neatly folded on the dresser "I uhh...Look...Could you keep out the fact I'm on smack?"  
I pull out my baggie of drugs, I can see Ryan eyeing it up.  
"Or do you need a bribe?" I wiggle the bag  
"I uhh..." he sighs "Yeah sure, fuck it."   
X  
"And then Gav fell straight into the pool, clothes and all.." Ryan laughs as we enter the safe house "He didn't speak to Geoff for like two days."  
I giggle at the idea of Gavin being drenched, he seems a person who takes his clothes very seriously.  
I can smell pizza and I follow the smell to the living room.  
"At last, they return!" Geoff announces   
"Have fun?" Gavin asks with raised eyebrows   
"Why?" Ryan asks with a smirk "Jealous?"  
"We're not fucking." I walk over to the pizza set out on the dining table   
"Joker, A word?" Valkyrie grabs my arm and drags me into the kitchen.  
"Kar I was gonna grab a slice of pizza.." I complain   
She opens the door and drags me out, the sky is dark and once again it looks like it might rain.  
"You disappear....and return ten hours later." She pinches the bridge of her nose "With the fucking Vagabond!?"  
She sighs  
"Connie, Are you insane!?"  
"No?" I giggle "Yes? Maybe?"  
She makes a noise of frustration "I'm being serious!"  
"Calm down Kar..." I smile "Ryan's chill...He helped me sober up is all, he saved my arse actually."  
"Oh its Ryan, Now?"   
"Karry."  
She sighs and puts her hands on her hips "Fine...Okay..Wait, he save your arse?"  
"I was drunk at the Red Angel...a gang of knobs showed up, he scared 'em off."  
"You were too drunk to fight them off?"   
"Karry..can we talk about this another time?"  
"Geoff thinks we can go home." She shrugs "But..I'd feel better with you staying at mine."  
I almost want to reject her, and say I'd rather sleep in my own bed.  
But that;s a lie.  
I'd rather be at Ryan's.  
In his bed.  
"Yeah sure."  
"Go eat."  
I head back towards the door   
"This doesn't mean I'm not mad at you!"


	20. Chapter nineteen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie thinks about how Karry see's Ryan, more importantly how her twin see's her.

Valkyrie turns on the lights to her apartment and ushers me in.  
"I gotta pee." I mummer, heading towards the bedroom, truth is I'm coming down of the heroin high from eariler.  
"Don't think I've forgotten about talking to you."  
"Okay _mum._ "  
I hear mutter something that sounds like a threat.  
Once locked in the bathroom I turn on the taps and splash my face with cold water.  
"Okay..Chill...we've been down this before." I take a deep breath, Somehow nobody at the Fakes house suspected I was on anything, maybe its the bruised face, it makes it hard to see my diluted pupils.  
"Just...have some whiskey...and sleep it off."   
I take another deep breath and flush the toilet, to give the impression I used it.  
"Jesus Christ...She's gonna wanna talk about why I left." I sigh   
The towel I use to dry my face is soft and smells like flowers. The scent of Valkyrie.  
I check my pockets, to make sure I don't have any drugs tucked away I forgot about, I do however find a peice of crumpled up paper, Written on it is a phone number, next to it in very scribbled writing is:  
 _'Just in case you ever need help again- R'_  
I smile, well, well, It appears I left a impression on him, good.  
When I return to the living room, the kettle is brewing and Valkyrie is leaning with her back against the counter, watching me.  
"You gonna tell me what happened?"  
"I guess I should." I take off my jacket and hang it up before sitting on the sofa.  
"I freaked out, Alright? I was alone with Ryan and Geoff...Without any decent weapons and it spooked me."  
"So you're first idea was to get plastered?"   
"Val.." I close my eyes "If I'm not drunk, I'm on a job."  
"Which is very unhealthy."  
"I can handle it."  
She looks like she wants to argue that point, but the kettle has finished boiling so she turns her attention to it.  
"And Ryan?"  
"I told you....He came and spooked off some arse holes who wanted to score." I pick at my nails "I was upset and drunk-"  
"You slept with him?"  
Why does everyone keep thinking that?  
I mean, technically, yes we _slept_ together  
"No." I laugh "He was a proper gentleman, he took me to his apartment, And made sure I didn't drown in my own sick in the night."  
"You mean...the Vagabond..The ripper of Los Santos..." She shakes her head "Looked after you?"  
"Why is that so hard to grasp?" I lean back in the sofa "I can be nice."  
"You're not like him."  
"I'm not as handsy..."  
"Connie you're not a....Serial killer." She pauses "You kill for the money....he does it to..get his jolly's."  
I almost laugh aloud, of course she'd think I only kill because of the money.  
I don't do it because I enjoy it.  
That'd be insane.  
"I don't think he jacks off to his victims." I laugh "Then aga-"  
"Please stop."  
"I'll ask him next time we run into each other."  
"Please don't."  
"Are you sure he just....tucked you in?"  
She walks over to me with two mugs of tea and sets one down on the coffee table.  
"Are you.." I blink slowly "Kar, I wasn't that drunk, I'd know if I was fiddled with."  
"I was just asking." She sips her tea "You never know."  
"I know and I wasn't."  
I reach for my mug, thinking over the fact that Ryan scares her.  
Ryan is a freak, someone to be scared of.  
Yet, I'm just as bad, and she wants to protect me at all costs.  
Is she blind to my sins or ignorant?  
Does she think just because he wears a skull mask and I wear red contacts and a bandanna he's somehow the greater evil?  
Or is the mutilation that unnerves her?  
Is she unaware I have burnt people alive?  
Whats odder, the that she's scared of Ryan or the fact I'm not?


	21. Chapter twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie's left alone.

I lie back on the sofa, the leather is cool against my bare skin, it does nothing to soothe the burning in my gut or stop the ceiling from spinning.

  
I sit up and find the peice of paper with Ryan's number on it, I stare at it before sighing.

  
I pull out my lighter and set it on fire.

  
He cannot get close to me, I refuse to be vulnerable again.

  
The paper burns, I hold until my fingers almost burn, I then drop it into the glass of water Valkyrie left for me, It dissolves, black chard paper floating in the water.

  
"Fuck." I mummer, angry at everything.

  
Angry at Felix for ratting me out.

  
Angry at Ink for beating the shit out of me.

  
Angry at Geoff for letting slip we worked together.

  
Angry at Ryan for thinking he could get close.

  
Angry at Valkyrie for babying me.

  
Angry at myself for using.

  
The anger is acid at the back of my throat.

  
I stand up, I need to do something, the man who beat me half to death is still out there.

  
I'm not letting the Fakes control what happens to that rat bastard.


	22. Chapter twenty one.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie begins to form a plan.

"Kar..Wake up." I shake Valkyrie awake  
"Huh..What?"  
She sits up in the dark and switches on the light  
"Did you run a search for Ink?"  
"Run a-?" she yawns "I didn't get the chance, I fixed the Fakes IT system...put in a trojan horse while I was at it."  
"I need information."  
"Connie.." She yawns again "Can't it wait?"  
"No." I meet her gaze, hoping she understands how much this means to me "Please."  
"Okay gimme a sec..I'll have a shower..." She gets out of the bed "Boil the kettle, make me a cuppa coffee."  
"Will do."  
X  
I clean my knife, Bored as I wait for Valkyrie to give me any information on Ink.  
She walks into the room  
"I have something." She sighs "Connie..Do you know what you're doing?"  
"Yep.....Either I go and slit that motherfuckers throat or.." I place my knife back into my ankle sheath "I find someone who knows him."   
She bites her lip and holds out some papers  
"This bloke is a known associate."  
Printed on the paper is a mug shot of a heavy set man with a shaved head, the thing that I notice straight away is the swastika tattoo beneath his left eye.  
"A neo-Nazi?"  
"Yep." She shifts her weight on her feet "Names Jacob Johnson, goes by J.J...hangs out at a biker bar up North.."  
"You done your normal magic?"  
"He'll be at the bar by noon if thats what you're asking." She clears her throat "I'll let you read the papers...I'm gonna go research the Fakes."  
"They call that spying Kar."   
"Your paranoia is rooted in stabbing anyone you don't like, Mine is by digging into their lives." She smiles at me, sleep is still clouding her eyes and I feel guilty for waking her "Less blood that way."  
"The bloods the best part."


	23. Chapter twenty two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt begins.

The home of Jacob Johnson, if you can even call it that, is dark as I walk up the empty driveway, its more of a shack than anything else, a shack mixed with a trailer.  
The garden is full of knee high dead grass, protected by a rusting metal fence and a sign that charmingly reads 'Trespassers will be shot'   
The house is far away from its neighbours and they don't seem the type to spy on the house next door.  
I walk up to the front door and pull out my lock pick, The lock is easy to unlock, there's no deadbolt on the door, But maybe J.J has a reputation I'm unaware of, maybe other scum bag nazi's know not to mess with him.  
He went away for beating a unarmed black teenager to death, which isn't a crime that strike's fear into my heart.  
The inside of the house is dark and smells like damp, old alocohol and piss.  
My eyes adjust the darkness, I can see posters on the wall, and a unerving amount of swastika's.  
There's no family photos on the walls, Not that I'm surprised, by the sounds of it J.J is a asshole who no one wants to be around unless they're chugging beers and saying racial slurs.   
I walk into the backroom, a sloppily made bed is in front of me, there's a shotgun propped up against the side table.  
I tut and reach for it.  
"Breaking parole Mr. Johnson.." I empty the gun of its shells and place it back down   
I open the bedside drawer, hidden beneath a stash of porno magazines is the a box of shot gun shells, I open it and place the ones I took out of the gun inside, before sliding the box into my pocket.  
I check the rest of the house for weapons, I don't find any, aside from kitchen knives that have grime practically glued to them.  
Its been a while since I have had to carry out a up and close job, normally my marks are seen through a snipers scope.  
But he isn't a mark, he's a enemy, this is personal.  
This isn't a hit, its a integration, If this son of a bitch knows Ink, He's going to tell me about him.  
I find a place behind the living room door and stand against the wall, I check the time of my phone.  
Half past eleven, the bar he spends his time in closes at twelve, half a hour, at least.  
I text Valkyrie  
'Going dark, Check in with you by one, if not GPS me.'  
I put my phone away, making sure its on silent, I close my eyes, Now we wait.


	24. Chapter twenty three

My dream like trance is broken when headlights illuminate the dark room, it burns my eyes, staring into complete darkness for almost forty minitues has allowed my eyes to adjust.  
I stretch my limbs and produces my pistol, waiting for J.J to come inside.  
The door opens with a loud bang, I hear shuffling footsteps, By the sounds of it I'm surprised he could walk from the bar to his car, let alone drive home.  
He stumbles into the living room, right in front of me, he's average height and overweight, I've fought bigger.  
I step out from my hiding spot and place the barrel of my gun to the back of his head.  
"Move and I'll paint the wall a new shade of brain."  
"Who the fuck are you?"   
I jab the barrel into his skull "Not important, but I know who you are."   
"Wait..I know your voice." His body stiffens and I get ready for a fight "You're that pink haired bitch Ink roughed up."  
I have to fight to keep my finger off the trigger, he was there when I was beaten, he's not just a friend of Ink's, he's one of his goons.  
"Joker." He laughs "Some fuckin' nightmare you are, sulking in shadows."  
"You know Ink?" I take a deep breath, trying to calm the anger bubbling away in my core "Where can I find him?"  
"You think I'm gonna tell you?" He laughs "Never gonna happen bitch."  
"Tell me or I swear to God you won't live to regret it."  
"Fuck you."  
I pull back the pistol and smack the barrel against his temple with enough force for him to collapse to the floor.  
"Fine, you wanna be a tough guy?" I snarl at his unconscious body "Then have it you're way."  
X  
J.J was heavier than I expected, lifting him on to his bed took the breath out of me, but maybe I hit him harder than I meant too or the booze is keeping him asleep.  
I cut his bed sheets into makeshift ropes and tie his wrists and ankles to the bed frame, I also make a gag out of stripes of duvet and his dirty socks.  
I unsheathe my knife and run my thumb along the blade, its been a long, long time since I had to get information out of someone.  
It was back when I was still part of the gang back in London, the teaghlach, Ran by the man who introduced me to the criminal underworld.  
He taught me how to shoot, how to steal.  
 _"Remember Lass...they're no good to you dead, you need to be careful."_  
Patrick was like a father to me, And he thought of me as a daughter, it was a sad day when I had to leave him behind.  
J.J stirs on the bed and thrashes against his restraints.  
"What Ink did to me was sloppy...he used fists and boots to try and get me to talk."  
I walk over to the bed and wave the knife over J.J's flabby gut   
"You need...equipment to get someone to talk."   
I use the knife to cut away J.J's dirty off-white vest, His abdomen has a tattoo of a the eagle and a swastika inked into the skin.  
"Not that you know what professionals do." I glare at him, baring my teeth "You think your so called Aryan brothers have done half of the shit I've done?"  
I run the knife from just above his belt line to his belly button, he squirms as the blade slices flesh.  
"Or does it just rub you the wrong way that a woman has more balls than you?"   
I repeat the movement and step back.  
"I've decided, I'm not letting you leave, Jacob." I bend down and pick up a tub of salt I found in the trailers kitchen "The world would be so much nicer without you waddling around."   
I pour salt into the fresh cuts, it earns a loud muffled scream and more thrashing.  
"So..I'm using you as a message, Jacob." I look at his face.  
His face has turned red, there's tears streaming down his face and snot from his nose.  
There's fear in his eyes, a silent plea for freedom, begging for his life.   
"Then, when you finally die, You'll regret calling me a bitch."


	25. Chapter twenty four

Its a hour later when I'm washing my knife clean that my phone rings, I set it on the counter and wipe my hands on a rag that at one point must have been a towel.  
I answer the call  
"Hey Val."  
"You sound happy." She pauses "Find anything useful?"  
"Not exactly."  
I cast my gaze to the bedroom, where the mutilated body of J.J is still lying on the blood soaked mattress.  
"What have you done?"  
"Nothing horrible..just one less ass hole on the streets."  
She sighs "Don't be too much longer."  
"I'll hurry up."  
I pick up my knife and dry it, I return to the body.  
I dip a glove covered pointer finger into a pool of blood, I write on the wall, A message, Hopefully it'll be understood:  
'I'm the monster'  
I refuse to be scared of some ass hole who has a vendetta against Geoff, I will not cower and let the Fakes' do all the work.  
Its me who was beaten half to death, And I will have revenge.  
X  
"How'd it go with Johnson?" Valkyrie questions as I return to her apartment.  
"He won't be terrorising any other minorities that;s for sure."  
"Forget I asked."   
"Anything new here?"   
She shrugs, I notice the cup in her hand, coffee  
"You're still tired?"  
"I've been up for almost 24 hours."  
Its then I realise I've been up for more than that, I don't feel tired.  
All I feel is this intense need.  
"You can go to bed.." I take off my jacket, Hoping that in her tired state Valkyrie doesn't notice the flecks of blood.  
"You sure?"  
"Yeah...I'll find something to do."  
"Don't you dare leave this apartment."  
I smile "I won't."   
"Good." She yawns "You should try and get some sleep too."  
"I'll try."


	26. Chapter twenty five.

I shift on the couch, sleep continues to escape me, even as my body begins to succumb to tiredness.  
I stand up, my legs are wobbling as I walk towards the kitchen.  
"Fucks sake." I hiss as I fill up the coffee maker.  
Normally, this is when I'd get drugged up and pass out, into a dreamless sleep.  
But with Valkyrie here, I can't.  
I regret burning that note Ryan left me.  
Somehow, he managed to calm me.  
"Get it together Constance.." I open the cupboard and pull out a mug "You're tired...and paranoid...You're just latching on to the first person to show kindness."  
I pour myself a black coffee with shaking hands.  
"There is nothing special about Ryan...he's just a bloke...another scumbag waiting to stab you in the back."  
I pour sugar into the cup   
"Do not let yourself get weak." I stir the coffee and watch the whirlpool the spoon leaves in the black liquid "Once this Ink bullshit is over...things'll go back to normal."  
X  
Its hours later when Valkyrie returns to the living room, looking well rested.  
"Sleep well?" I ask  
My night have been spent pacing the apartment, smoking a whole packet of cigarettes and doing about 100 push ups.  
"Did you sleep at all?"  
"Got a few hours."   
"Uh-huh.." She doesn't look convinced "Go shower, the Fakes want us in for a meeting."  
"A meeting?"   
"They have information for us."  
"If its about Johnson I'm gonna be super annoyed.." I chuckle   
"I have no idea, After the hack they're keeping e-mails and stuff pretty short."   
"Almost like they don't want people spying on them."   
"What a weird thing to not want."  
She laughs, she looks well rested and I'm glad.  
One of us needs to be awake at least.


	27. Chapter twenty six

I sit at the dining table in the Fakes' safe house, Jackie puts a bottle of beer in front of me, She and Geoff are the only one's here so far, I'm not ready to see Ryan.  
How do I tell him that the other night was a mistake?   
How do I lie about wanting to spend time with him?  
Connie, you lie everyday, you've lied at least twice today alone.  
Lie might as well be my middle name, so why am I dreading having to lie to him?  
"Whats all this about?" Valkyrie asks, sipping from her own bottle of beer   
Jackie ignores her question and walks into the kitchen.  
I shift uncomfortably, This whole situation feels weird.  
Do they know about J.J?   
Geoff sits at the head of the table, the rest of the Fakes begin to enter one after each other.   
They all sit at the table, it seems far more formal than the last time, no one greets us with smiles or sarcastic comments.  
Ryan sits opposite me, I avoid his gaze by picking at the label on my beer bottle.   
"Right...so..." Geoff clears his throat "This fuckin' Ink bullshit has gone up a level."  
"Oh?" Valkyrie catches my eye.  
"Someone sent a dead rat to one of my friends." Geoff replies "A friend who got out of the game years ago."  
"I'm assuming this friend ran in the same crew?" I ask "And turned?"  
"He's been out of this for a while, Gone straight." Geoff defends his friend   
"Hardly straight." Micheal comments "He's our lawyer, keeps the pigs off our backs."  
"But no one knows he used to be part of a gang." Jackie replies "All files were wiped."  
"So the only people who know, are the gang members." Geoff pinches the bridge of his nose "And the cops."  
"Corrupt cops in Los Santos?" Gavin laughs "Never."   
"Would any off the other members be on Ink's side?" Valkyrie questions  
Geoff glares at her, I resist the urge to stand up and chew him out for it.   
"No."  
"Any other reason you called us here?" I ask, taking a mouthful of beer   
"I wanted a word with Peg." Says Jeremy "Don't trust e-mails and all that since the hack."  
"Pegasus: don't call me Peg." Valkryie rolls her eyes   
"Sorry, I wanted to talk to Pegasus."  
I nod "That it? We free to go?"  
"Stay around, with all this going on we'd like to keep an eye on you." Jackie smiles from behind her beer bottle "If thats alright."  
I shrug "Its not alright, but I haven't got any else going on."  
I can't help but ignore Ryan staring at me, I almost believe he can somehow smell the previous nights murder on me, A weird sixth sense only like minded sickos have.  
Even if he did, What of it? Yeah, I killed a bastard, he wasn't gonna be missed by anyone.  
Jesus Christ Connie, you're more paranoid than usual.  
I stand up "I'm going for a smoke."


	28. Chapter twenty seven

The early morning sun is bright, its going to be another sunny Los Santos day, the heat is already rising.  
I can hear distant dogs barking, the sounds of life, people going about their lives like normal.  
They don't have a blood hungry dick wad after them.  
They aren't involved in the grim underworld of this shit hole.  
I take a drag of my cigarette, Oh to have a normal life, to not have to know how to torture someone.  
Flashes of J.J's corpse flash in my minds eye, I can smell the blood.  
Bitter, Lingers in the back of your throat like licking a penny.  
I close, When I open them Ryan is walking towards me from the house.  
Shit.  
"Hey." He sits next to me   
"Hi." I mummer in response, finishing off my cigarette "Look....what happened with us, That was a mistake, okay?"  
I ignore the look of hurt that flashes across his face.  
"I'm working with you guys because Valkyrie trusts you, thats it." I stand up "Okay?"  
"Connie.."   
He goes to get up, I hold out my hands signalling him to stay put   
"Joker."   
I clear my throat, Come on, just do this, who even is he? Another random guy thats who.  
"Joker, Not Connie."  
His face goes cold, it makes me want to cry, to see some form of friendliness in his eyes fade away to cold indifference.  
"Okay Joker."  
His voice is toneless, like a robot.  
I nod and turn around, I walk back up to the house, fighting the urge to turn around and plead for forgiveness.  
Once inside I find Valkyrie sat in the living room, deep in conversation with Jeremy  
"I'm gonna go for a nap...the spare rooms still open?"  
"Yeah should be." Jeremy responds, clearly curious.   
"Ya know what? Can I have the car keys? I'll nap in the car."  
"Sure."  
X  
I roll down the passenger side window and recline the seat, its already heating up.  
I take off my jacket and use as it as blanket, I've slept in a car far to many times to count.  
If I told Valkyrie all of the misadventures I got into as a teenager it would turn her hair grey.  
Memories of London flood back to me, now more than ever I miss Patrick.   
We've e-mailed a few times since I moved away but its not the same, If he was here now he'd be giving me advice, telling me how to deal with the Fakes.   
It would break his heart if he knew I was using again.  
I shift on the seat, Yeah well Patrick isn't here, he doesn't have to deal with this bullshit.  
All because I stole some rare book.  
This is why I stick to murder, someone wants someone dead, that persons killed, money is exhanged, goodbye.  
I close my eyes, trying to block out the outside world, I need to sleep, My body is going to shut down.  
I need my mind to be alert.  
Last time I let my guard down I was beaten, that won't happen again. 


	29. Chapter twenty eight.

_A dark hallway, A young Valkyrie crying._   
_I step in front of her, protecting her from the angry fist of the man who was supposed to be our carer._   
_"Hit me, not her."_   
_His fist might as well have been made of steel as it hit me in the cheek, sending me flying backwards._   
_Valkyrie catches me, stopping my head from hitting the carpeted floor._

My eyes fly open, I'm momentary blinded by sunlight.  
"Connie."  
I hear Valkyrie and once my eyes have adjusted, I see her stood just outside the door.  
"Lunch."   
I sit up and fumble for the door handle, As soon as I open it I'm hit with heat. I leave my jacket on the floor of the car and slam the door behind me.  
"I'm not hungry."  
"Tough."   
I can't see Valkyrie's hazel eyes behind her dark sunglasses, but I can feel the stern look.  
"dry your face."  
I touch my cheeks, they're wet with tears, I wipe my face with the bottom of my t-shirt.  
"It was the sun...made my eyes water."   
"I know."   
She walks back up to the front porch, she returns inside the house and I follow.  
The crew are sat in the living room, the radio is on and everyone is sat eating what looks like home made mac n cheese.  
"You want anything?" Jackie asks with a large smile  
"You got any vodka?"  
"Coke or straight?" Jackie asks, she doesn't seem to be judging but I can feel everyone else's eyes on me.  
"Straight, outta the bottle."   
Valkyrie sighs, but remains silent and walks over to the table, where a bowl is already set out for her.  
Jackie hands me half a bottle of vodka and I nod   
"Thanks Jackie, I'm going outside."  
X  
I chug from the bottle of Vodka, its stronger than the stuff I normally drink.  
It burns my throat and makes me feel like my heart is on fire, I'm on my sixth cigarette and my lungs are burning, my hands shaking.  
Fuck, I need something stronger, anything.  
"You okay?"  
I glare at, who else, but Ryan walking across the yard to me.  
"Can't take the fuckin' hint, can ya?"   
"I regonise a downward spiral when I see one." He gives me a sympathetic look "Johnson was you."  
I open my mouth to ask him how he knows, but he answers before the words leave my lips.  
"It was angry, the way you carved him up.." He walks towards me and sits on the bench "Makes sense, who was he?"  
"He was...there." I chug from my drink again "One of the goons."  
"This ain't just about Ink is it?" He scoots closer to me "Whoever Leo was...I'm guessing he has to do with it."  
"Don't try and be my shrink."   
"I'm not." He chuckles softly "I'm trying to be your friend."  
There's a pause and I take a final drag of my cigarette and crush it into the dirt.  
"Why?" I hiss "Because you think I'll be a easy lay?"  
"No."   
He watches as I finish the last of my Vodka  
"Because you're obviously hurting."  
I scoff and drop the bottle, it lands in the grass with a muted thud.  
"Why should I take advice off the guy who needs speed and pills to sleep, eh?" I glare at him, or at least the fuzzy shape that looks like him "Bet your crew doesn't know about your habits, right?"   
"Well you're sister doesn't know about yours."   
I hate the smugness in his voice.  
"Go ahead, tell her."   
"I won't."  
"Why not?"  
"Because I promised not too."  
His voice is so soft and I can smell his body spray.  
I reach out until my fingers curl around the fabric of his hoodie, I pull him close.  
But I don't kiss him, Rather I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.  
He slowly puts his arms around me   
"Wanna go for a ride some place..." His voice is feather light, his breath against my ear "Talk privately?"  
I nod "The crew'll think we're fuckin'"  
He smiles "They can think whatever they want."


	30. Chapter 30

Ryan's apartment is familiar in the midday sun, The AC is cranked up, its cool.  
"Do you want anything?" He quietly shuts the door.  
"Can we lie in the bed?" I ask, feeling stupid "Like..last time."  
"Sure."   
I smile, feeling my cheeks burn  
"I'll keep my jeans on this time."   
"You don't have too." I see his cheeks turning red "If they're uncomfortable..I know jeans get sweaty."   
"I'll live."  
Without saying anything else we get into the bed and I put my head on his chest, he puts his arms around me.   
"When you wanna talk, I'll listen."  
"You know you get the itch?" I ask, almost a whisper "And...you think if you ignore it, it'll go away..but it doesn't, so you scratch it, but the itch is deeper.."  
"And you make yourself bleed?"   
"Exactly." I sigh "Well...someone else bleeds."   
"I have scars all along my thighs...Because of what you're talkin' about."   
"Karry..gave me a address...I was supposed to just get information." I close my eyes, fighting the bile in the back of my throat "But he was there, he knew my voice." I swallow hard "He saw my face."  
"So you had to kill him."  
I smile, No one's quite met my logic yet, apart from him.   
"I suppose I should count myself lucky, From what I've heard you don't see the Vagabonds face and live either."  
He laughs "No, my blinding beauty burns their eyes, like the sun."   
I laugh "Of course."  
There's a pleasant silence for a moment, I take in the sound of his heart.  
"When...When did you..When did you know?"  
"That I was fucked up?"   
He shrugs his shoulders "I was...ten I think." He closes his eyes for a moment "some friends found some bootleg horror movie, it was all over the top gore, the others had nightmares for weeks, but it didn't bother me." He sighs "I also grew up in a huntin' town, death was something you got used too." He chuckles "Plus my mom worked at the slaughterhouse, packaging the fresh meat, she hated it, she would get home and change clothes straight away."  
He sits up slightly "How about you?"  
"Val and I grew up in care...I took the abuse meant for her." My voice cracks slightly "I learnt to shut off my feelings." I take a deep breath "The first time I saw someone die...I didn't feel a thing...I was a runner for a drug gang in London, started my addiction there, Jesus I was thirteen? I dunno..the boss shot someone in the forehead, blood everywhere and I remember just...not caring."  
I laugh, but its hollow, nothings funny about the situation I was in back then.  
"I was more concerned about getting home without anyone noticing I was gone."  
I wipe a stray tear away  
"Fuck, you must think I'm a proper pity party, eh?"   
"Hey, My childhood was fucked too." He chuckles again "Okay, I wasn't in a gang, but I had the odd drunk Step-Dad."   
"At least you had a mum." Again, another tear "Its been me and Val since day one..."  
"You've done pretty alright for yourself."  
I laugh, the idea that living the lives we do is considered 'Alright' is absurd.  
"Val does the heavy lifting...I'm just the muscle." I chuckle "Don't tell her I said that."   
"You don't seem very muscular."  
"I'm stronger than I look." I move my head against his chest, resting on his sternum   
"I don't doubt it."   
I move my head and meet his eyes, he leans forward  
"Can I kiss you?"  
I grin, good, this isn't a one sided thing, I nod.  
He leans forward and lightly brushes his lips against mine.  
I close my eyes, expecting more but he moves away, I make a groan of protest.  
"I hate the taste of vodka.." He smirks, like he knows exactly how much I enjoy his lips against mine "Sorry."   
"What if I go use mouthwash?"  
He shrugs "I guess, bathrooms over there."


	31. Chapter 31

I return to the bedroom, feeling fresh after using a very minty mouth wash, Ryan is stood looking out of the window.  
"You're shitting me?" He sighs and presses a hand to his forehead "How'd they-?" He groans in frustration "Okay...Okay...My apartments free, A few can hang out here."  
There's a moments pause   
"Okay...send Jeremy." He heistates for a moment "Pegasus as well, Joker is already here."  
He turns and notices me "Yeah, yeah, real funny, just tell J."  
"Bye."   
He hangs up and throws his phone on the bed.  
"A safe house was just blown to hell."  
"What!?" My heart jumps into my throat "The place we were staying?"  
"No, No." He runs his hands through his hair and tightens the elastic band holding his hair in its bun "Its down on the coast...we don't go there often..." He closes his eyes for a moment "But we're all scattering to our own houses, places the cops don't know."  
"Was anyone hurt?"  
"Nope, thank fuck."   
"Doesn't Jeremy have his own place?"  
"He lives in the penthouse..must of us do, normally." He gestures to the apartment "But we need places to be alone, and this is my place."   
He walks over to his closet and pulls out the base of a camp bed "Could you help me set this up?"  
"Sure."  
X  
"Tell me what happened." Ryan doesn't bother to greet Jeremy with a hello, rather he ushers he and Valkyrie in before slamming the door.  
"WIsh I knew....we gotta call from Fredo, package on CCTV, next thing he knows the whole place is on fire."  
"Where've Jackie and Geoff gone?"  
"Geoff's gone to Gav's place, Jackie's gone to stay with friends."  
"The Jones'?"  
I take note of the plural of Jones' I know Micheal's one, but who's the other?  
"Own."  
"Alright."  
"We went by my apartment on the way.." Valkyrie speaks, her eyes darting to Jeremy for a split second "I grabbed my laptop, I might be able to scan the CCTV, see who put the package down."   
"Okay...I'll get you my wifi password."  
"Don't need it."   
Valkyrie walks over to the kitchen table and pulls out her laptop   
"Have you still got your stash?"  
For a split second I think Jeremy is talking about drugs, but then I notice the small duffel sling across his body.  
Guns.  
Weapons.  
"Yeah, come on through."  
Ryan leads Jeremy to his bedroom, doesn't surprise me that he has a secret stash of weapons, I'd be more surprised if he didn't.  
"Suppose I shouldn't be surprised you were already here." Valkyrie comments  
"It isn't what you think."   
I walk over to the kitchen table and sit down  
"We're not fuckin' Kar."  
"Okay."  
"But we...are something."  
"Does he make you happy?" She doesn't look up from her laptop screen  
"He..." I take a deep breath "Kar...I can sleep around him, You know how hard it is for me to do that."   
"Then I'm glad." She smiles at me slightly "Just...be careful."  
I roll my eyes "Kar-"  
"I don't want to be a Auntie quite yet."  
I can't help the fit of laughter that comes next, something about her saying that to me in my sleep deprived state is hilarious.   
"Whats so funny?" Jeremy's voice breaks me out of my laughter.  
"Your girlfriend has gone mad, Ryan."  
Ryan's cheeks flush with the slightest tinge of pink, he looks like he either wants to kill Valkyrie or kill himself.  
"Girlfriend!?" Jeremy clasps Ryan on the shoulder "You never told me that buddy."  
Ryan runs his fingers through his hair, it seems to be a nervous tick of his "Yeah...its a sorta...new arrangement."  
"Micheal owe's me twenty bucks." Jeremy seems genuinely happy for Ryan "He said that you and Joker ain't a thing because love isn't part of your programming."  
"I wouldn't go that far." Ryan mummers, his cheeks turning even pinker by the second.  
X  
"Find anything Valk?" Jeremy asks  
Its been hours since he and Valkyrie got here, we've been sat in the living room, watching a movie while Ryan and Jeremy talk.  
I've been sat, resting my head on Ryan's shoulder, his arm around my waist.  
I take note of Jeremy calling Valkyrie 'Valk'  
"Nope." Valkyrie sighs "Nothing."   
"Fuck." Ryan mummers   
"No one's fault." Jeremy springs to his feet, startling me slightly "How about I make us a nice dinner?"  
"You can try." Ryan laughs "There's hardly anything here."  
"You underestimate my culinary skill, Haywood."   
"Your last names Haywood?"  
"Yeah.."   
  



	32. Chapter 32

Chapter thirty two  
"How on Earth did you manage to make chicken and noodles taste so good?" Valkyrie asks Jeremy as we finish up our dinner   
"Its a talent." Jeremy chuckles, a large grin on his features.   
"So...sleeping arrangements.." Ryan clears his throat "J and I can sleep in here, if you girls want the bed."  
"Oh?" Valkyrie looks between Ryan and I "I thought the love birds would wanna share."  
"Val!" I hit her arm  
"I mean..if Connie wants too..." Ryan collects the plates, avoiding eye contact with everyone.  
"Thats okay." I glance at Valkyrie "Did you bring my stuff?"  
"Yes I did."  
"Good...lets go change, shall we?"  
"Wha-"  
I grab the top of her t-shirt "Come on, we're changing."  
Once I've grabbed the duffel bag I guide Valkyrie into the bathroom, I shut the door, we're far enough from the living room no one should hear us.  
"Kar...stop embarrassing me."  
"But its so cute to see you blush."  
I frown "Valkyrie, I mean it."  
"He isn't what I thought you know." She pulls out her pyjamas "Jeremy convinced me that he isn't as evil as I believed."  
"Jeremy?" I raise a eyebrow "Whats going on there then, eh?"   
"Nothing." Valkyrie's otherwise pale complexion flush red.   
Just like when we were kids and I'd tease her about a crush on the playground.  
"Oh there is something.." I smile "Go on, You can't keep a secret from me."  
"We've spent sometime together....when you bugger off and leave me at the Fakes house."  
"You kissed?"  
She ignores me and turns around, starting to under dress   
" Well have you?"   
She scoffs "No."  
She puts on her pyjama top "He just seems to have taken it upon himself to be my bodyguard."  
"Good." I smile "Someone's gotta protect you, when I ain't around."  
"I'm a grown woman Connie."  
"Can you shoot a gun?"  
"I know self defence."  
"Not what I asked." I strip down to my underwear "You need a gun or a knife or something."   
"I am fine."  
"This isn't London, Val."  
"I know."   
I roll my eyes, she doesn't know, not really, the idea of her being taken and beaten the way I was breaks my heart.  
She couldn't take it.  
I change in silence, If I told her how much I fear for her she'd shake it off, of course she would, she's as infamous as me.  
But all her crime is done behind a screen, not up close and personal.   
I won't let her get hurt, By anyone.  
X  
"Sorry about Valkyrie." I mummer, climbing under the warm covers of Ryan's bed, The room was too warm to wear a full set of pyjamas, so I took the bottoms off and rather than risk him seeing me even half naked I covered up quickly.  
"Whats to be sorry for?"   
"The way she just kinda....exposed us."  
"Didn't know we were a secret." He lets his hair out of its bun, it falls lazily to his shoulders.  
Its choppy, the ends varying in length, giving the impression he cuts it himself.  
"I just...I thought.."  
"That I'd hide you away?" He chuckles "Pinky, No one can sneeze in the crew without everyone else knowing."  
He undoes the zip from his hoodie  
"Anyway, Why would I keep you a secret?"  
He removes his shirt and I can't help but stare, he is fit. Muscles underneath pale skin, covered in scars.  
On the top of his right arm is the green star logo of the Fakes.  
"Jeremy's just...he's happy." He chuckles to himself "Guess everyone thought I'd die alone."   
"Val's always trying to set me up with people." I laugh "I never got past the first date."   
"I've hooked up with people." He admits, almost in a whisper "Nothing serious..."  
"Because who could love a monster, eh?"   
He strips down to his underwear  
God those boxers are tight.  
"Sorry...Do you..." He fumbles over his words "I can wear pants."   
"Its fine."  
He gets into the bed next to me, I try to blink away the image of his almost naked body.  
"So uhh...you....work out?"   
He grins "What gave it away? My God-like physique?"   
I feel my cheeks burning so I look away from him.  
"I work out when I can't sleep....which is a lotta the time."   
"Same here." I pull the covers further up to my chin "I just..don't retain muscle the way you do."   
He settles into the bed, putting his arm around me, I smile and move my head towards him, he meets me half way.  
I run my fingers through his hair, its soft to the touch, as my fingers pull at the knots he groans slightly.  
God that groan.   
I want him, I want him in the most primal way, I want to feel his warm skin against mine, To see his muscles flex.  
His hand on my bare thigh makes me flinch.  
 _Alcohol._  
 _Hands, bruises._  
 _"Come on, don't fight it sweetheart."_  
I grab his wrist suddenly and pull away from his lips  
"Can...Can.." I try to not sound panicked "I can't."  
He nods "Okay...just cuddle?"   
I nod, feeling tears.  
Fuck why is he so sweet?  
He shouldn't be this sweet.  
"Wanna talk about it?" he whispers into my hair after a few moments of silence  
"You asked me who Leo was." I take a deep breath "He's the one who got me hooked..." I rest my head on his chest "The reason I can't sleep."  
"Ah." He clicks his tongue "I'm sorry that happened to you."  
"I was a dumb kid..tryna to be a grown up."   
"Don't say that." he rubs my back "You were a child."  
"Don't." I snap "Don't."  
"Don't what?"  
"Treat me like a victim." I sit up "Know what happened to Leo?" I pull up my shirt, showing him the scar across my abdomen, Almost as ugly and deep as the day I got it "He tried to gut me, So I blinded him."   
I let my shirt go and it falls back down "He was blinded by a scared seventeen year old..it should be enough."   
I lie back in the bed, I haven't admitted about what happened since I was in prison, they made me talk about.  
"But it isn't...There's a fucking stain on me I can't get off."   
"Hey." He reaches out and strokes my face with his fingers, feather light tracing my cheekbones, Nobody has touched me like this.  
Ever.  
The only time a hand comes near my face its for a punch or a slap.  
I relax against him, and close my eyes.  
"Look, I won't hurt you, for what its worth, I promise."   
A single tear runs down my cheek, he wipes it away gently with his thumb.  
"Thanks."


	33. AUTHORS NOTE PLEASE READ

I was just curious as to if there's a point in continuing this, I got set back for a while when I lost a few chapters, If anyone is interested I'd be happy to continue.


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